Wear face masks when in crowed places, says Dinesh Gundu Rao

Health Minister advises people to wear masks in crowded places, reviews testing & health care facilities in Dakshina Kannada.

While asking people not to panic due to the gradual rise in the number of cases of the less severe variant of COVID-19, Health and Family Welfare Minister Dinesh Gundu Rao on Friday, December 22, advised people to wear masks when they are in crowed places.

“It is always better to be cautious. We are not making wearing of masks compulsory and there is no case right now to restrict movement people,” the Health Minister told reporters in Mangaluru following a brief review of testing and health care facilities in Dakshina Kannada.

Mr. Rao, who heads the three-member cabinet sub-committee on COVID-19 management, said the first meeting of the sub-committee will be held in Bengaluru on December 25. “We will review the measures. We will discuss with the Union Government and other State governments and bring in changes, if need be,” he said.

The State government is procuring PPE kits, masks, and other necessary materials for the government health care staff. Presently a target has been set to do 5,000 tests per day. Decisions on giving a third dose of vaccine and other changes in COVID-19 control measures will be taken in consultation with the technical advisory committee. Action is being taken to ensure all ventilators in the government hospitals are in working condition, he said.

During the brief review of preparedness for the new wave of COVID-19, the Minister asked the healthcare personnel to be on alert. “There is a lot of inter-state movement of people. You need to be more careful,” he said and asked all healthcare personnel to compulsorily sport face masks.

Dakshina Kannada District Health and Family Welfare Officer H.R. Thimmaiah said the district presently had two active cases of COVID-19. The State government has given a target of doing 300 tests per day. The tests for persons from Sullia and Puttur taluks will be done at the testing centre in KVG Medical College in Sullia, while tests from remaining taluks is being done at Government Wenlock Hospital.

Dr. Thimmaiah said health teams have been posted at the border checkposts and also at railway stations and bus stands to create awareness about testing those with COVID-19 symptoms. Letters in this regard have been sent to all educational institutions and heads of different departments in the district.